Reaper
by Hikaru Rouge
Summary: He thought he was scrabbling to madness. But she, or rather it, told him otherwise. The hunt for Lasher has begun, but at what costs?
1. AN

_Hikaru: As the winter break starts to get rolling, what do I do, sitting by the heater, one of my favorite movies playing on the TV, hot passion tea on a coaster nearby, in front of the computer, wrapped in my warmest blanket? Write the darkest, twisted, soul sucking, mind warping story of the year! MWHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! _

_That… and also listen to the Inuyasha soundtrack non- stop… aren't I a loser. _

_But seriously, this idea of a story hit me like a bus while listening to Evanescence. I truly hope you guys enjoy this one… I'll try to make the chapters longer than my usual ones but it totally depends how the story flows… _

_This author's notes is a seperate chapter because I thought it would have thrown off the seriousness of the story ahead if it was on top of the beginning of the story… _

_BIG NOTE THOUGH: All characters are human unless stated otherwise… hey, if it's a story that has to deal with spirits so why not? Oh yea… I own no characters except for potential OCs that might pop up along the way… _


	2. Encounter

The rain beated down on the window of the ward. Besides the sound of the rain, the sounds of the beeping monitors, the soft soles of the nurses on duty, and the muffled cries of the other patients echoed through the walls of the closed room. They kept passing his room, completely oblivious to the sounds that only he could hear. The things that could be seen only by him. No one could possible know of the things that he had to endure, with no one to confide in without being accuse of being insane. These things were beyond anyone else's understanding.

Maybe it should end tonight. Let the creature take him. As long as he could remember, the thing has been tormenting him, first with the taunts of his father abandoning him back when he was young. And nowadays, it was the death of his mother those many years ago. He was tired of the torment and pain, the questioning looks of complete strangers. Even his own family was questioning his sanity. He leaned on the wall, tired of it all. He just wanted this all to stop. Get his life as normal as possible after having all these apparitions take control of his life.

_It's time to end it…_he thought to himself.

The chill returned into the room. A dark red aura slowly formed in front of him.

"So…" a voice said, deep, husky, evil.

"Have you finally made your choice?"

"Yes…" he said, dark eyes fading.

The voice laughed. The very structure of the room was altered.

He began to panic. He was alone in the darkness, the damn darkness of god knows where. The ground beneath him grew soft and uneven. To his horror, it was the many decaying corpses of hell beneath him. Instinctively, he started to back away, trying to find someplace where his bare feet, wouldn't touch the soft flesh of the soulless dead. But hands lashed out and held him in place. The dark shadow with glowing red eyes was coming closer to him. His dark eyes went wide as he subconsciously held his breath in fear.

_Is this really how I'm going to die? _

The cold grip of the spirit clasped his smooth face.

"You will be my means of entering the world of the living…" the spirit said.

He could have sworn he saw it grin.

Before death took its final toll, something strange happened.

The spirit cried out in anguish as a slash of light sliced through it. Almost as instantly as the spirit appeared, it vanished. The hands and arms of the dead that held him prisoner released him and disappeared along with the bodies of the dead. The last thing he saw before blacking out was a slim silhouette holding some sort of object, and piercing blue eyes…

* * *

She stared intently at him, as he told of the things that happened the night before. She wrote down a few things when appropriate, showing him that he still had her full attention. But, she couldn't help but wonder about his state of mind as these 'apparitions' of his continued to grow more graphic, up to the point when he claims that he could actually feel the cold hands of the dead in Hell.

"Let me get this straight…" she said calmly, making sure what she had heard thus far was correct.

"You've had a vision of Hell? And then some bright light came, and you supposedly came back to the world of the living…?"

He glared back at her, eyes cold as usual.

"I wasn't expecting you to believe me…" he said solemnly.

She sighed. He was the most difficult of all of her patients. But she couldn't lose her patience with him, as much as she wanted to.

"Look," she said, sliding her glasses off. "I'm trying to understand. I want to help you, but you need to let me know what's going on in your mind. Or else why continue this? You have to trust me…"

"You know what…" he said, getting up from his chair. "You can never trust someone who thinks your crazy…"

He then disappeared back into his room, ending the session.

Dr. Kagome Higurashi sighed for the umpteenth time that day. There was no getting through to Sesshomaru Takahashi.

* * *

"… it seems as of your son case of Psychosis may be reaching it highest extreme…" Dr. Higurashi continued, after sharing her notes with Toga Takahasi, and his son Inuyasha.

"The latest of his… 'Apparitions seem to be getting more graphic. As of late, he keeps claiming that he's been to the depths of Hell and back. Even having the dead reach out to him…"

"That's sounds insane…" Inuyasha muttered, not meaning the comment to be heard by anyone else.

Dr. Higurashi shook the comment off and continued.

"Quite frankly… I'm a little concerned. His condition seems to be getting worse rather than improving. I have to increase his dosage of neuroleptics. And possibly try a few more sessions of family therapy…."

"Dr. Higurashi…" Toga spoke up. "We tried therapy in the past. No one can get close to Sesshomaru…"

"I see… Mr. Takahashi. Then the best we can do for your son at the moment, is keep him under close observation. If it gets to the point where he injures himself, then we have to go to another extreme…"

* * *

Sesshomaru sat on the bed as he stared out the window. His thoughts were still wrapped around the events of last night. The thing that puzzled him the most was the source of the light. He was sure he was going to die that moment. But then the spirit disappeared, looking like it was in deep pain. Then those blue eyes. Whom did they belong to? He leaned back until he was lying on the bed.

This nightmare still wore on. Whatever the thing with blue eyes was, it only made the nightmare continue. It was as if he's never to be liberated from these 'spirits', if that's what they were. His family sent him here, only with his best interest in mind, trying to cure him from these visions and help him settle his state of mind. Try to get to the core of it all. But none of them could imagine the things he saw, the things he felt, any of it.

"Shit…" he muttered. "I think I finally reached the deep end…"

"You're not crazy…" a voice suddenly said.

Sesshomaru sat up, alert from the sudden appearance of the voice. But no one was in the room. It was just him and him alone.

"Great… more voices…" he said. "As if I'm not insane enough…"

"As I said…" the voice said. "You're not insane. In fact… you seem to be more alert than anyone else in this entire city…"

Sesshomaru got up. This was getting ridiculous. It was bad enough that there was something out to posses him, supposedly, and now something was declaring him sane. This must mean he was defiantly insane.

"If I'm not crazy, as you say, then why don't you show yourself…?" Sesshomaru said, staring up at the ceiling.

"Is that all it would take to settle your worries?"

"Not even half of them."

"Holy shit… all those meds that doctor has been giving you totally altered your aura. This is not good…"

Sesshomaru looked back out the window, hoping to see something out there, the person behind the voice.

"You have seen Hell hm? That was not Hell…"

He jumped as the voice seemed to come from right behind him. All he saw when he turned around was the door.

"That was the border between this world and the next. The Spirit Realm. Those corpses were the souls waiting for judgment. It's amazing how many are stuck in limbo. Most of them have been there for hundreds of years, and yet they still await judgment. The wait sometimes drives them mad and they decided to kill time by disrupting the world of the Living. Does that answer a few potential questions that haunted your mind for years? Why they seem to want to pick you in particular…"

"Shut up…" Sesshomaru said, lying back down on the bed, hands on his head. This argument from this latest episode was giving him a massive headache. This was getting out of control. He closed his eyes, hoping the throbbing pain in his head would just disappear.

"You're a hyper- sensitive…" the voice continued. "You're not crazy, as I said so many times before. You are able to sense the spirits of the Realm. What they're thinking, what they're doing, a perfect medium if possible… a perfect partner in the hunt for him…"

"Partner?"

Sesshomaru opened his eyes. Sitting on the edge of his bed was a young girl.

Her ebony hair cascaded down her back, over the black jacket she wore over a white tank. Her long legs, clad in black boots, were stretched out in front of her. She was delicately holding on to a scythe. She looked back at him, her dark blue eyes taking in his form. A smile came across her beautiful features.

"You will help me find him…" she said. "Lasher is always after hyper-sensitives. He needs strong medium to hold his aura…"

"Who the fuck are you?" Sesshomaru shouted, not wanting to deal with this anymore.

The girl lowered her head.

"Forgive me… I usually don't forget my manners. I got too excited after finding you…"

She looked back at him, eyes sparkling in excitement, but deprived of life.

"I am known… as Reaper…"

Reaper…

* * *

Dr. Higurashi stopped in her tracks. Something was wrong.

"Dr. Higurashi?" Toga asked.

"Is something wrong?"

"Wait here…" she said suddenly, running in the direction where Sesshomaru's room was.

Father and son looked at each other confused.

* * *

Reaper's head perked up as she heard the approaching footsteps.

"Damn it…" she muttered. "I thought we could get started today… but perhaps another time…"

She then turned towards Sesshomaru.

"I'll be back soon… expect to see me again…"

In the blink of an eye, she disappeared, just as she appeared, out of no where…

Sesshomaru went pale. There was something different about this spirit. She seemed to carry nothing but an aura of destruction and death. What was this to do with his apparitions?

The door swung open and Dr. Higurashi stood there out of breath.

"What happened?" she asked in a haste.

Sesshomaru didn't answer.

"Reaper…" was all that escaped his lips.

_

* * *

Hikaru: Hope you all are enjoying this so far. Next chapter will be up ASAP. In the meantime, please review! _


	3. Breakout: Reaper's True Name

The following night, he was restless. That was expected. It has been years since he got decent nights sleep. He kept alert for strange noises, anything that might be the apparitions.

* * *

"_You're not crazy… you're a hyper- sensitive… a human that can sense the activity of the Spirit World…"__

* * *

That was your warped common sense talking… _he thought to himself. It was ridiculous. But yet…. Her words never left his memory… 

He turned to his side and stared out the dark window, still lost in his thoughts.

After Dr. Higurashi barged in, he tried to explain what has just happened. She left with a discontent expression on her face. It must really mean that he really did just go off the deep end. He could just tell by the odd amount of medication the nurse brought him earlier. But that girl… she seemed so real, but yet not. Those eyes of hers always sent chills down his spine. Then he remembered the last thing she said before disappearing…

* * *

"_I'll be back soon… expect to see me again…"__

* * *

I hope not…_ Sesshomaru thought to himself. He closed his eyes for a minute, actually enjoying the silence for once. He shivered as the room grew cold. 

_Not again… _He thought, shutting his eyes tighter. He did not want to deal with this tonight. Just as instantly as the cold appeared, it vanished.

"The night is so restless…" a voice piped up, causing him to jerk up.

It was her again. This time, she was sitting on the edge of the bed frame, gingerly holding the silver scythe in the crook of her arm. The blade shone in the moonlight. She was looking out the window as well, pure seriousness written across her face.

"You again…" he said, wide eyes.

She just kept staring out the window.

"It's chaotic tonight…" she muttered, as if talking to herself. Her expression darkened.

"What is?" Sesshomaru couldn't help but ask.

"The Spirits…" she said gravely. "They're getting rowdier every passing day. Something big's about to happen…"

Sesshomaru turned away from her.

She turned her cold eyes his way. He didn't seem to be listening, or he simply didn't care. It was one of those things that drove her insane. The Spirit World was what controlled the events in human life. There were rogue spirits out there, destroying lives, twisting strings of destiny, changing destiny, but this hypersensitive didn't seem to care at all. She let him have it.

"Are you listening!?" Reaper asked, glaring at him. "Many people are dying out there because of those lost souls! I'm the only one that can liberate them from the tormented state in limbo. Aren't you even going to help me!?"

"You're on your own…" he said coolly. "I want no part in any of these things you keep bringing up."

"You don't have a choice…" Reaper snapped, eyes fixed on him.

"Lasher is causing all this and since he chosen you as his next medium, you're not going to be relived from any of these hauntings until Lasher gets what he wants. You need me because I'm the only one that can get rid of him and rid you for your… what was it? 'Insanity?'"

She pulled a nerve with the last comment.

Sesshomaru shot her a death glare. If looks were able to kill, then she would have died a thousand deaths right then and there. But she couldn't because of the fact that she was a spirit. But still, the dark eyes flashing angrily at her actually caused her to flinch a little, something she hasn't done in over 500 years. He was not your average Seer.

"With a name like 'Reaper', why should I trust you?" Sesshomaru asked, eyes narrowing.

He couldn't believe that he was still talking to air, but she just wouldn't settle down. After this, he was calling a priest.

Reaper didn't know how to answer. It was just a name she gained over the years hunting souls. It wasn't like she asked for it, or demanded to be called such. She stared at the wall. Then, a brilliant idea to get things going the way she wanted them to came into mind.

She smiled.

"When was it the last time you were out in the open? Outside of these ward walls?"

Sesshomaru looked at her confused.

"Why are you asking me this?" he asked.

Her smile never wavered, as she stood up, scythe held tightly in the hand.

"You won't be much use as a hyper- sensitive while in here…" she said. The blade started to illuminate a white light. "We're making a break for it."

"We?"

Before he said anything else, Reaper held the scythe high above her head and slashed at the wall. The wall exploded to millions of pieces. Sesshomaru shielded himself with the mattress of the bed. Reaper stood there, still in the position that she was in when she swung the scythe. The smile was still there.

"Come on…" she said, standing up straight and extending out her hand.

Sesshomaru just stood there. Should he go with this apparition, or should he stay here.

That was the last thing he needed… an escapee from a lunatic asylum...

Reaper sighed.

"You have to trust me…" she said, in the gentlest tone that she could muster. "I'm trying to help you. The sooner Lasher's gone, the sooner you can return to a normal life… at least as normal as you can make it after all you went through…"

Sesshomaru just glanced back. This seemed too good to be true, but since when was it alright to trust a ghost? Most time, as least from what he's heard of from movies and novels, ghost usually means a bad ending. But considering his circumstances and what he had to loose… he was willing to risk it all. He reached for her outstretched hand.

* * *

The building shook. Kagome lifted her head from her desk, where she was taking a light nap.

"Dr. Highurashi! Dr. Higurashi!" one of the nurses cried out, trying to keep her balance on the shaking floor.

"Something's going on the psychiatric ward!"

Kagome got up, trying to keep her balance. Soon the shaking stopped.

_Something isn't right… _Kagome thought to herself, and she and a few staff members made their way to the ward.

"Make sure everyone's alright. Take care of those who are hysterical. Use the stunning serum if you have to…" Kagome barked at the staff, who took off in different directions tending to their duties.

The hysterical screams, laughter, crying of patients, the many footsteps running about, and the sounds of physical force nearly pushed Kagome's nerves, but she had a job to do. She went over to the Nurse's Station to hear of what went wrong.

"What happened here?" she asked.

One of the male nurses turned towards Kagome.

"Dr. Higurashi…" he said.

"Well?" Kagome snapped, wanting answers as to why the vast majority of the mental ward was in chaos.

"It's hard to explain…" the male nurse continued. "It was all quiet. Everything was alright, but then at around 3:03, a loud noise roared in the ward, and the room began to shake. It seemed like it came from room 452.

"Come with me…" Kagome said, leading the way.

When they reached the doorway, the door was slightly ajar, rubble was scattered in front of the door. Kagome reached for the door and gently pushed it open. A giant hole was blasted in the wall, rubble of the use to be wall was scattered everywhere, and the furniture tossed aside, broken glass everywhere… Kagome's eyes went wide. Everyone gasped behind her.

"What could have happened here?" someone asked.

"Mr. Takahashi?" Kagome called out. No answer. Only the darkness of the room, with the moon shining overhead.

Some of the staff members got brave enough to go into the room to investigate.

"What could have caused this? There's no TNT, gun powder, or anything…" the male nurse from before said observantly.

"Hojo…" Kagome spoke up, slowly coming out of her shock. "I would like for you to alert the patient's family about this. And could you try to keep the press out of this…"

"Yes, doctor…" Hojo said, taking off to the grueling task at hand.

Kagome walked into the room and glazed her hand over the cracks of the wall.

"What could have…?" Kagome said quietly to herself.

* * *

To wander Tokyo freely again… this was something that Sesshomaru completely forgot about. A cool breeze blew by, the only thing sending chills for the moment. He took a deep breath. Who ever said that fresh air was the best medicine, they were right. But his piece of tranquility ended when the thought returned. He had to get back to the apartment he abandoned a few years back, when he decided to try to stop the mental nightmare through medical means, and swallowing his pride to ask his father and half brother for help. He could at least get some clothes on other than the hospital pajamas he was given the day he arrived. Reaper seemed to be on the alert, looking each way and that, making sure that things were coast and clear.

They continued on. They entered a dark ally way.

Reaper sighed.

"So where is this place of yours?" she piped up, sounding annoyed as hell.

"Here…" he said, struggling a little to open the back door. After slamming his shoulder into it, it finally opened. Reaper floated in. Sesshomaru shrugged. He really didn't care while she was in a foul mood. He went inside the building.

A few flights of stairs later, they reached the door to the apartment. That when Sesshomaru finally realized that he didn't have a key.

"Now where did I hide it…?" he muttered to himself, walking over to the plants that the landlord had there 'to brighten up the place'

Reaper glanced at the door and went through it.

Sesshomaru kept searching through the plants until he found the right pot.

Got it…

When he got back up, spare key in hand, he saw that the door was already open.

"Are you coming in or what?" Reaper called out impatiently.

* * *

She sat there on the couch, as he went into the bedroom to take care of a few things. She sighed. He has yet to learn of the torments of the dead. The closest he got was when that spirit was going to take over his body. She smirked at the thought. She almost had him. Lasher… the demon that cursed her. But if her attack was stronger, she would have killed Sesshomaru. Lasher had a strong hold on Sesshomaru's soul. Because of her soft side, Lasher escaped, though injured.

She leaned her head back. All these years of torment could have been gone if she just used a bit more force. Now the fate of the world rest in that one man's hands.

"Sure hope he can handle it…" Reaper muttered to herself, closing her cerulean eyes.

* * *

Sesshomaru stepped out of the shower, relieved that he finally got the dirty hospital feeling of his being. He went over to his closet, which smelled a bit musty after not being touched for three years. He picked out black jeans, a white button up shirt, and got dressed. He then went over to the mirror to get a few knots out of his long dark hair. He took a good look in the mirror.

He was surprised there weren't any bags under his eyes. He hardly slept anymore, but the mystery as to why he didn't look tired was beyond him. His eyes…. Supposedly the gateway to the soul. If that were the case, then he must have had a pretty black soul, especially after witnessing the night of his mother's death and did nothing to help her. He shook the thought out. He was five years old when that happened. There was nothing he could have done. He closed his eyes for a moment. Why of all times, must those memories come back? He opened his eyes and looked in the mirror again.

Behind him, a woman covered in blood stared back, a bit of bone sticking out of her neck, eyes bloodshot, clothes tattered with a bit of her breast showing, pieces of flesh missing from her body, her hand reaching out for him. Sesshomaru gasped and turned around, only to find nothing behind him.

Sesshomaru growled. This was pissing him off. If this Reaper was truly able to help him rid himself of these ghosts and spirits, then let her do what she needs to do. He walked out of the room and back into the living room.

* * *

Reaper was taking a light nap on the couch. She didn't seem dangerous. Sesshomaru stood there and stared at her. She looked innocent. How could she be so violent and aggressive? Sesshomaru sighed. There was no way a person like her could fight.

He wandered into the kitchen, doubting to find anything to eat. To his surprise, there were a few packages of instant ramen in one of the cupboards. Might as well eat them than let them go to waste. He went over to the stove and turned it on.

Flames rose up from everywhere. Sesshomaru backed away, shielding himself with his arm to prevent the flames from hitting him in the face. A figure was forming within the flames.

"You are the connector?" a feminine voice called out.

Sesshomaru continued to back away.

The flames slowly went down enough to make the figure clearer. It was a woman in a scandalously clad kimono, her red hair high up in a pony tail, her gold eyes staring right at Sesshoumaru. Her blood red lips formed into a smile.

"You are the connector…" she said. She raised her red nailed hand, flames forming into a sphere.

"You will be under my command, Connector!" she said, throwing the flaming sphere.

Sesshomaru dashed to the side to avoid being hit. The sphere hit the wall and slowly placed everything around it to flames. Sesshomaru tried to think of ways to get out, but flames engulfed all the exits. Reaper was still on the couch, eyes closed. Some help she was. The Fire Oni came closer to Sesshomaru.

"Surrender your soul to me…" she said, smiling. She gripped his shirt collar.

Sesshomaru glared at her. There was no way he was giving up. He struggled a little in her grasp, hoping to get away, but to know avail. She sighed.

"Then I guess I have to do this by force…." She said simply, flames rising up from her arms. Then… a small laughter was heard.

"You're pathetic…" Reaper said, sitting there, eyes still closed.

"What was that!?" the Fire Oni shouted.

Reaper rose up, scythe in hand. She opened her eyes, determination written all over her expression.

"Doing his dirty work for him… or simply trying to get the best Seer and then try to defeat him yourself?" Reaper asked playfully. "Either way… you're no match for him... and quiet frankly, no match for me…"

"Why you…!" the Fire Oni was really pissed off now. She dropped Sesshomaru, formed flaming spheres in her hands, and charged at Reaper.

Reaper's eyes grew wide at the approaching flames.

"I hate fire…" she muttered, swinging her scythe at the Oni, hitting the incoming flaming balls of fury, causing the rest of the place to go into flame.

Reaper looked over at Sesshomaru, who was down on his stomach, trying to stay out of the smoke. She slashed her scythe at the door, making an exit.

"Get out now!" Reaper shouted. "I'll finish things here!"

Sesshomaru, not even bothering to argue, quickly made for the exit.

* * *

"My Medium!" the Fire Oni shouted, making her way towards Sesshomaru, only to be stopped by Reaper.

"Pay attention to your opponent…" Reaper said, an energy sphere forming on the tip of her blade. The Fir Oni backed away.

"You…you're the one that slays all of us spirits… you bring upon the death of us all… Reaper…"

"That's what they say…" Reaper said, getting ready for the final blow. "But my intentions are noble, unlike yours…"

The Fire Oni was not going down without a fight. She screamed in fury, as she tried one more attack. Reaper smirked and brought her scythe down, a white light engulfing the area, shattering the immortal spirit of the Fire Oni, making her fall into the abyss of hell.

* * *

Sesshomaru saw the bright light from the street below. The explosion blew a huge hole where the apartment was, and rubble fell from the sky. Sesshomaru quickly entered the building again, avoiding getting hit by any of the rubble. He didn't smell any smoke anymore, and made his way back upstairs, ignoring the calls and shoves from the evacuating residents. He made it back to the door. When he entered, the entire apartment was in ruins. At least nothing of importance was lost.

* * *

Reaper stood there at the gaping hole, staring out into the glowing Tokyo lights.

"I really hate fire…" she said. "It brings back unwanted memories…"

She turned towards Sesshomaru.

"Sorry 'bout the damage…" she said. "But it couldn't be helped…"

She turned back to the city view.

"But I highly doubt it'd be difficult to find another place to live… considering we're going to be stuck together for a while…"

Sesshomaru stepped closer to Reaper.

"Then… if that's the case…" he said, never taking his eyes off of her. "Then what is your name… your real name…?"

Reaper looked at Sesshomaru in surprise.

"I'm assuming you used to be human at a time, and you died in a fire for some reason. Surely you must remember your name…" Sesshomaru went on.

A small smile graced her elegant face.

"I… I haven't used my name in such a long time…" she went on. "I've been Reaper fro so long… I'm surprised I even remember my name…"

She looked at Sesshomaru with a sparkle in her eyes.

"My name… in my past life… was Rin. And I think now… I'd rather you call me Rin and not 'Reaper'… as that is my name when I have to bring about the deaths of spirits, as that's how I earned that title."

Sesshomaru repeated the name in his mind. Rin… it suited her. He nodded and he gave out a rare small smile. He placed his hand out.

"Partner?" he offered.

Rin smiled.

"Partner…" she replied, as she took his hand.

* * *

_Hikaru: Whew! After not writing in a while, thanks to school and final exams… it's great to get that out of the way! Please read and review with ideas, comments, anything really, just not flames! _


	4. Of Blood and Soul

Hikaru: HOLY CRAP! SHE'S ALIVE!!

Yeah well... what can I say really? 8 months without updating? Dang I must really been losing it...anyway... finally finished writing this chapter and now need to get to work on some other stories. Remember i own none of the characters except for possible OCs that might show up... n n

* * *

She sat there, her knees bobbing up and down as she sat cross legged in the floor, staring at him, as he flipped the page of the newspaper, trying to bet back up to date on current events

She sat there, her knees bobbing up and down as she sat cross legged in the floor, staring at him, as he flipped the page of the newspaper, trying to bet back up to date on current events. It has been three weeks since the last spirit encounter, and thus far… nothing else came up. They managed to find a new apartment, furnished and restocked with food and the likes. Rin thought that with news of a seer that was found worthy of Lasher, you would think that multiple ghosts and spirits would try to claim him as their medium…

Apparently not…

"I'm starting to doubt you're a seer…" Rin commented, eyes narrowing, as her impatience grew.

"Actually… I'm starting to like this near spiritless life style…" Sesshoumaru commented, still reading. "Maybe you should just stick around and act like a bug light.…."

Rin huffed.

"Excuse me…?"

"What is it now?" Sesshoumaru asked, not looking up from the paper. "Your little plan of using me as bait for Rash or whatever not working?"

"Alright… first off… it's Lasher… not Rash. Second… don't get use to the lack of ghosts… they're bound to come by when you least expect it. It's in their nature… like with that Fire Spirit from before…"

"Alright then… I'll keep that in mind…"

Rin glared at Sesshoumaru, who still was reading the paper.

"You're not taking this seriously are you? Rin asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Not at all…"

Rin face vaulted onto the ground.

"WHY THE HELL NOT!? It's my time you're wasting!!"

"Exactly how am I wasting your time? Like you said yourself… ghosts come and go as they please…"

Rin growled.

"Just forget it… I just won't tell you how to tell ghost and living beings apart…."

Stunned silence…

"I can live with that…"

BAM!

Another comment… another face vault.

_This human's lacking my patience!! _She thought angrily to herself, building up her composure yet again and resumed her spot in the corner to continue sulking. She released an exaggerated sigh.

It was the 100th sigh like that today. Sesshoumaru tried to ignore it and continued to read the paper. He was wondering what she even does whenever he's not around. Keeping in mind that this bratty skinny girl was the executioner of souls, it's kind of a scary thought….

"Don't you have ghost and souls to judge and let into heaven or hell?" Sesshoumaru asked sarcastically.

"I'm not a shinigami…" Rin huffed.

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow.

"And if you're not a shinigami, then what are you? A poltergeist?"

Rin remained silent. She couldn't answer the question herself. She's been asking herself the question of what she is ever since…..

She shook her head. She simply readjusted her sitting position and folded her hands neatly under her chin to prop it up. She stared down at Sesshoumaru with her deep brown orbs.

"Make fun all you want…" she started coolly. " But we are in this situation together. The sooner we get rid of Lasher, the sooner you'll be rid of me and have your way with a normal human life, as dull and as boring as you desire. It's your choice."

Sesshoumaru raised his eyes from the newspaper for the first time that morning after that remark from Rin.

"And just what do you mean by that?" he asked, one eyebrow quirked, as he slowly placed the paper back down on the table.

She released a small smirk, seeming quite please she got him intrigued again.

"Tell me….. What do you know about vampires and werewolves?"

"Haunting figures created by primitive people to scare young children, which eventually led to a fad among writers to create horror novels, such as Dracula and Frankenstein, which were later adapted into movies. All and all…. Urban myths…. What does that have to do with anything?"

Sesshoumaru was already losing interest. As far as he was aware of, he saw apparitions of ghosts and spirits, not monsters. Rin's expression however, never faltered. In fact, she looked rather amused that Sesshoumaru wasn't taking her seriously at that moment.

"It has to do with a lot of things…" She simply stated. "In fact... most of those, 'myths' have been deprived from actual events that involved the spirit world. It's a classic example on why you must be aware of the forms that spirits can take…."

"Example?"

"For example, the case of spirits that lust for blood. They are the few that can be able to take a physical form, though it is of the rarest occasion nowadays. In the Olden times, it was more common for them to take physical forms, which led to the creation of the vampire myth, as the vast majority of those souls were those of the people buried alive, mistaken for being dead and had blood all over their bodies from trying to claw their way out of the grave.

'Nowadays, the spirits and ghosts that lust for blood are often the ones that occupy a human's mind to send them into a serial killing spree, satisfying their need to kill. Then there are those few that decided to take the killing into their own hands without the need to posses a human to do the dirty work. Those ghosts and spirits are often the cause of unsolved murder cases."

"Alright… I'm biting on your little explanation on vampires don't exist…." Sesshoumaru butted in while Rin was talking. "But what do the other 'monsters' have to do…."

"I'm getting to it…" Rin said impatiently.

"The most dangerous spirits to deal with are those that can be able to obtain a physical form. Most that can are animal spirits, more often than not, wolves. It's rare to find a human like spirit in physical form. You more often than not, find demons… and they're not pretty…"

Sesshoumaru sat there and listened to Rin's lecture, but honestly was not interested. No spirits or demons or ghosts were bugging him now, right? What good would this information from the 'all powerful' Reaper do? He leaned back in his seat, droning out the rest of her speech. It was at that moment when she finally noticed he was no longer paying attention.

"You're an asshole….." She said, floating back up close to the ceiling.

"And I'm going out for fresh air…" Sesshoumaru rubbed in, reminding her of her undead ghostlike state.

Rin growled as he got his shoes on and went out the door.

"Jerk…." She mumbled, deciding to just open her new book, which mysteriously floated off the shelf earlier that morning.

* * *

The cool autumn air hit Sesshoumaru like bricks the moment he stepped out of the apartment building.

In all honesty, he didn't really care about what Rin had to do or what she was planning to do. As long as he was able to stay out of it, he never wasted any brain power over the entire matter. He just kept watching people around him pass by. Some were workers just getting off their shifts and heading home for the day, while there were couples walking around, keeping each other warms against the cool breeze.

Sesshoumaru watched the couples for a minute. He just figured something out. There was something that was almost as ridiculous as Rin's rants about 'other spirits'. And that was the entire concept of love. Now that was a world of madness of its own and he was glad he was not part of the stupid game. He shrugged the thought off and continued on his way, unaware that something dark and sinister was nearby.

* * *

After walking around for about a half hour, he decided to just drift and browse through a book store aimlessly. After 15 minutes of that, he stopped where he was and looked at the shelf.

Supernatural and Spirituality…

"Heh… you got to be kidding…" Sesshoumaru muttered, less than amused.

"Can I help you with anything sir?" a friendly voice asked.

Sesshoumaru looked over at the woman that obviously worked there. He then looked at her nametag. It read, 'Sara'.

"Is there a particular title you're looking for?" she asked with a smile.

"No… I'm just looking…" Sesshoumaru replied, as he turned to leave.

"Are you sure?" she asked again.

Sesshoumaru didn't reply back and kept walking.

"Well! If you need anything, just call for Sara and I'll come to your assistance!" Sara called back.

Sesshoumaru mentally rolled his eyes. Why did women always have to throw themselves out there?

He browsed through the biography section for a while. He couldn't help but overhear the conversation another customer and Sara were having.

"…oh my….. He did that?"

"Yes… then the next day I gathered the rest of my things and I left… that was actually a few days ago…" Sara said a little sadly.

"But of course it was the right thing… I mean… you know what they say, 'Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater'…"

"I suppose you're right…"

"Besides, with your looks, I don't think you'll have a hard time trying to find a better guy for you… I mean… I was in a similar predicament and after a few relationships… I'm finally going to marry Mr. Right…" the customer babbled on, suddenly reached to tap her engagement ring.

Sara sighed as she placed the books into a canvas bag that the other woman brought it and left at the counter to show she wasn't going to shoplift.

"I hope I find the one soon…" Sara said.

"Without a doubt!" the other woman said smiling, paying for her books.

"Well... thank you for your service..." the woman said bowing, before taking her bag and leaving the store.

Sara simply waved back.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that day.

Women and their petty problems. He thought he left that when he left Rin at the apartment. He stopped what he was doing and walked out of the store. Though, through the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a slight dark blue aura surrounding Sara, who at the moment was looking very glum.

_No… it's just your mind playing tricks on you…_Sesshoumaru thought to himself, as he walked away. The person in the very back kept his eye on Sara….

* * *

As the sun was about to start setting, Sesshoumaru grabbed the few bags he gathered after doing a bit of necessity shopping for the apartment and started to head back to his street. On his way back, he started t get chills down his spine.

_It has to be the weather… _Sesshoumaru thought to himself, concluding that it was just a sign that winter was almost here. Just as he turned a corner, he spotted a young couple walked into the entrance of a nearby park. The girl looked strangely familiar.

"Isn't that Sara?" Sesshoumaru said aloud to himself.

Sara looked a bit dazed, but she was sort of smiling as she was looking at the male companion of hers. He, on the other hand, may have been a good looking man, but to Sesshoumaru, something was off about him. Sesshoumaru also saw the aura that he saw around Sara earlier that day, only it seemed stronger than before and it seemed to be more empowered by the man.

Sesshoumaru decided to see what was up, mostly to put his mind at ease, and followed the two into the park.

* * *

It seemed like the man was trying to lure Sara deep into the part of the park where hardly anyone went to. Sesshoumaru made sure that he was a good distance away, making sure that he wasn't discovered. But he was close enough to hear what the two were saying.

"Are we almost there?" Sara was asking.

"We are very close…" the man replied.

"My… it's so far…"

"What can I say…? I like my privacy… but I'm willing to sacrifice alone time as long as I'm with you…" the man kept going, his voice sounding very seductive.

Sara blushed a shade of red.

Sesshoumaru somehow was not convinced that this was just a coincidental rendezvous.

He notice that the two finally stopped.

The man turned to face Sara.

"Now… please close your eyes…" he whispered in her ear.

Sara did as he asked and closed her eyes.

Sesshoumaru watched them carefully, wondering what was going to happen next.

The man stepped back from Sara and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, hundreds of demons and spirits swarmed around Sara, many ripping her clothes, and causing bodily harm, only to access the blood that lay inside her.

Sara screamed as the demons continued to slash at her and tear at her.

Sesshoumaru watched helplessly in shock.

The man stood nearby, an evil smirk spread across his face.

Sesshoumaru couldn't take it anymore. He looked around for something he could use was a weapon and found only a branch.

"That's going to have to do for now…" Sesshoumaru said to himself, as he picked it up.

He then got up from his hiding spot and rushed over to try and save Sara.

The man noticed Sesshoumaru as he ran in, swinging at the demons attacking Sara.

"Well well… what do we have here?" the man said. "A spy…? Interesting how you were able to get here and pass my barrier…"

Sesshoumaru turned towards him and glared at him.

"Just what do you think your doing to her?" Sesshoumaru asked angrily, still trying to fight the demons off of Sara.

"What does it look like?" the man replied. "I'm just taking care of my family… besides… they're the ones more interested in blood… I'm just sitting back until the soul appears, then I can enjoy my meal…"

"But I think a second helping might help satisfy my family's hunger for a while…"

The man then snapped his fingers again and half the swarm started to head for Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru tried the dodge the claws and fangs trying to hit his artery points. Then a few hands reached out and held him in place.

_Fuck… how am I going to get out of this one?_ Sesshoumaru thought to himself, as he kept swinging around with the branch.

He looked desperately over at Sara, who lay beaten and still on the ground. A glowing orb started to float out of her frail body.

The man smiled.

"Finally… took her long enough…" he said, fangs starting to grow in his mouth. He reached for the orb and slowly began to devour it.

"Sara! Sara! Wake up!" Sesshoumaru called out, still trying to beat the demons back, getting his clothes a bit ripped up in the process.

Sara remained still on the ground.

"She's dead…" the man said. "I've just eaten her soul… it was very delicious I might add…"

He then turned towards Sesshoumaru, snatching the branch from out of his hands. The demons reached for his arms, digging their claws in them, drawing out blood. Sesshoumaru winced in pain for a minute.

The man started chuckling.

"Now... I can't help but wonder what yours might taste like…"

"Trust me… you don't wanna know…"

The man immediately stopped laughing and turned around.

"Rin!" Sesshoumaru called out.

"Can't you stay out of trouble for just one minute?" Rin said, looking annoyed.

"Easier said than done…" Sesshoumaru grumbled in an annoyed fashion.

The man stood still.

"R…Reaper…. Wh… what are you doing here?" he stuttered out.

Rin ' keh-ed' and gripped her scythe.

"What do you think? I'm here to cut open your stomach and retrieve the soul…" She said dangerously.

"Uh… a little help here would be nice!!" Sesshoumaru shouted, really getting annoyed.

"Just shut up and play nice over there..." Rin shouted back. "I'll get to you soon enough…"

"I don't think so!!" The man shouted, the blue aura slowly starting to form around him.

"Ok… transform…. See if I care…" Rin said. She quickly lashed an attack towards Sesshoumaru, getting the vast majority of demons out of the way.

"Now was that so hard!?"

"Sesshoumaru… shut up…."

Sesshoumaru grumbled as he continued to struggle to get free.

The man, meanwhile, was in the process of shifting shapes, his 'skin ripped as his form grew. Giant bat wings began to spread. The beast then began to roar.

Rin looked up and stood face to face to a giant bat.

"Hey… someone call Batman… I think I found his mascot…" Rin said, gripping her scythe.

A beam was shot at her from the monster's mouth. Rin jumped high in the air, dodging the attack. Black wings shot out from her back.

"Oh… so now you're using the woman's soul for energy. Talk about unoriginal…" Rin said, as the bat flew up high into the sky fighting her, still shooting the same beams as before.

Rin kept dodging and reflecting the beams back at him with her scythe.

Then the bat suddenly reached for her, fangs barred. Rin flung the scythe right in front of her, jamming the bat's mouth open. She saw the beam forming again in its mouth.

"Aw fuck!" Rin shouted, throwing herself further up, as the beam shot out again, destroying the scythe.

Sesshoumaru watched on from below. His eyes went big when he saw what just happened.

Rin floated high up for a bit, a new scythe forming in her hand.

"Ok…I'm getting tired of this…" She said angrily. "We had enough fun!"

Rin then dove down her scythe cutting straight through one of the bat's wings.

The creature roared in pain, as Rin flew back and did the same to the other wing.

The giant bat began to fall towards the earth, with Rin diving right along side it.

She twirled her scythe and sliced at the demon's stomach, a bright light shining out of it.

Sesshoumaru had to cover his eyes from the brightness. He also felt himself freed and the demons were disintegrating as the light touched them.

* * *

Once the light faded, Rin landed gracefully on the ground, a small sphere in her hand. Her wings slowly disappeared.

"Are you alright?" Rin asked Sesshoumaru, looking his way.

"I'll admit… I've been better…" Sesshoumaru replied.

"I see…" Rin said, turning her attention to Sara's body.

"Are you going to return the soul?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Rin shook her head.

"Even if there was a way…. She wouldn't have been able to survive the injuries… besides… when it comes to granting souls or taking them away… that usually falls under shinigami protocol…"

Rin lifted her hand and let the orb float up in the sky.

"Where is it going?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Probably to the nearest shinigami, hoping to be tossed into heaven…" Rin said, looking at Sara again.

"Odds are… the woman hasn't done anything in her life that would have sent her soul to hell. I have high hopes for her, especially for her not to be stuck in limbo…"

"What?"

Rin shook her head.

"Nothing…"

She floated over by the long forgotten bags.

"Let's go… a shinigami will be here soon… and I'm not exactly on good terms with them…"

Rin started to float towards the exit, while Sesshoumaru followed behind, carrying the bags. He only stopped briefly to take one last look at Sara.

"I'm sorry it happened to you…" he muttered. "Find happiness in the next life…"

He then turned to leave with Rin.

Something deep down told him that this was only the first time that he'll be seeing things like this.


	5. Darkness Falls

It was a dimly lit hallway. The light kept flickering as if it was about to die. The rain kept beating against the window. The small child kept walking around the vast hallway, the lighting scaring him every time it flashed. But the little boy had a mission in mind, to get to mommy's and daddy's room to be protected from the storm. He gripped his flashlight tightly as the wind blew and the braches of the trees outside scratched at the windows. Once the thunder roared once more, he picked up the speed as he neared the door.

However, he was surprised to see their door slightly ajar. He shrugged it off, thinking his parents half expected him to sneak into their room that night. But as he opened the door more, his eyes went wide and he started to shake with fear.

Looming over his parent's bed was a monstrous creature with glowing red eyes; it seemed to have blood dripping from its claws and its jaws. Its jaw tenderly held the head of his mother, which it crushed between his teeth. It began to growl deeply and menacingly in its throat as it turned its head slowly in a 360 degree angle, looking straight at the little boy.

The little boy fell onto his buttocks and started to crawl away from the door and stumbled to get back up and make a run for his own room. The creature then turned the rest of its body, releasing a terrifying roar, and turned into a miasmic shadow, bursting through the door, and down the hallway, heading straight for the boy. The boy shone his flashlight at the creature, hoping to blind it in its path. However, the creature screamed as if in agony and crashed through the window back out into the city, its hunger sated for the time being.

The little boy ended up huddled in a corner of his bedroom, sobbing and crying over his fright and the sudden death of his parents. He held a flashlight firmly in his hand, never turning it off, even as the sun slowly began to rise.

"Wow… that was one loud storm…" Sesshoumaru said grouchily, as he was staggering through the kitchen, making coffee for the morning. He didn't get much sleep because of the lighting and thunder from the night before. He looked over at Rin, who was still reading the book she had from the other day.

Rin suddenly busted out laughing, making Sesshoumaru jump and spill coffee all over himself.

"OW!" Sesshoumaru shouted, feeling the burning sensation on his chest. He turned and glared at Rin.

"What the hell was that for!?" he demanded.

"Holy Cow! Ranma's in for it this time!" Rin said briefly, still laughing as she gripped her book tightly, trying to catch some air which she didn't really have to do, but did out of habit.

Sesshoumaru sighed as he cleaned up the mess and went into his room to change.

When he came back out, he snatched the book out of Rin's hands.

"Hey! I was reading that!" Rin shouted, glaring at him as he threw it away.

"It's annoying when you just laugh like that…" Sesshoumaru said, turning on the TV.

"Keh… you're no fun at all…" Rin said, floating a little off the ground, leaning her head back in her hand while sitting Indian style.

"You know… you act like you got a stick shoved up your…."

"… So far, there have been no reports as to how the killer entered the residence, but all that officials know so far was that this crime was a brutality to rival event that of the torture and killings in the Nazi camps in World War II…."

Rin suddenly fell silent, as she and Sesshoumaru focused on this headline story on the news.

"The victims have been identified as Seiki Kanata and Jin. The neighbors in this residential area have never reported any strange mishaps or witnessed any suspicious behavior from the family and claimed that they were good citizens who were nothing but a loving husband and wife and devoted parents to their son, Kotaro. The reason of the killings remains unexplained. Theories of Yakuza ties or a vendetta from someone of the past have been spread across the people and the officers here on duty.

'The only survivor of the massacre was young Kotaro, who was found in the fetal position in his bedroom, holding onto a flashlight for dear life. The boy has been taken to Tokyo General to be further evaluated. The family is currently holding a reward for anyone with…"

At that moment, Sesshoumaru turned off the TV. He turned to look at Rin, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I think that this isn't the work of some human…" Rin said, floating a bit of a ways down, to the point where she was sitting on the couch with Sesshoumaru.

"I was taking a closer look at the house. There were claw marks on the side, very demonic looking. But assuming that the creature took form at the base, and then you'd think you'd see some dents in the shrubbery as it would have been rampaging to reach the house. But I don't know for sure if it was a demon or not…"

"Don't tell me you're thinking about going over there to investigate…" Sesshoumaru said.

"I'm not… but you are…." Rin said, already heading for the window.

"Hold on!" Sesshoumaru said, jumping out of his seat.

"What is it?" Rin asked. "It's a simple enough task. I'm sure you can do it…"

"Are you forgetting I'm an escapee of an asylum?" Sesshoumaru said. "My father and brother are probably still shredding the city apart looking for me. Hell… I'm still shocked they haven't found me yet."

"Point being…?"

"If I get caught… then you're going to have a hard time trying to get a hold of a stronger seer again… now aren't you?"

"I found you before… no doubt I can do it again…"

"I'm only human…"

Rin sighed.

"Well… as I said…. You're going to go investigate the Seiki house. Because you're an escapee, I thought it'd be better for me to check out the kid…"

"Oh no you don't!" Sesshoumaru said, reaching for her ponytail, and actually succeeding in grabbing it.

"Ow! Hey! Would you let go!?" Rin shouted, trying to break free. Sesshoumaru eventually released her after he was sure she was going to stick around and hear what he had to say.

"The kid's freaked out as it is, seeing a demon. Why don't you go see the house and I'll see the kid? I'd get arrested for being in a closed off crime scene and then sent back to the asylum. So you go investigate there since you're so knowledgeable of demons and ghost and stuff, and I'll go the hospital…"

Rin quirked an eyebrow.

"Why the sudden interest to check out some kid?" Rin asked.

Sesshoumaru was silent for a minute.

"I have my reasons…" he said bluntly.

Rin groaned.

"Geez…. Always have to make things harder don't ya?" Rin called out to him, as he went into the bedroom to change into his clothes.

"You know me all too well…" Sesshoumaru replied sarcastically, as he came back out. He went towards the door to get his shoes on.

"Alright… I'm going to go check out the house…." Rin said, floating up until the tip of her head touch the ceiling.

"Are you sure you can handle this?"

"Rin… just go…" Sesshoumaru said annoyed, grabbing his coat and went out the door.

"Growl…. Moody…" Rin muttered, going through the ceiling and into the open city air. Then she darted off into the direction of the Seiki home.

--

Sesshoumaru managed to get through the gap in between the fence and the building. It was a bit of a squeeze, but he was able to manage. He ducked as he darted across the lawn, making sure he was unseen by the hospital workers who just happened to be by the windows at that time. He watched as a few people past him. It was sort of hard to spot him since he seemed to be able to blend into the shadows very well. Sometimes it pays off to be a brunette…

He spotted a few nurses just getting off duty and walking out an employee entrance. He took the chance to quickly slip into the building through the closing doors. Might as well, since if he tried to go through the main entrance, it'd be an automatic return to the psych ward, and that was something he did not want. But ironically enough, that was the particular area where he needed to reach.

Before he even got two steps inside, he immediately had to hide in a nearby nook, as a few doctors walked by out of the break room reserved for hospital staff. Sesshoumaru thought of an idea and once the coast was clear, he advanced towards the break room.

--

Rin finally reached her final destination. She landed in the middle of the crowd of CSI agents doing some final examinations of the area. No one sees her. No one ever did besides Sesshoumaru. She smirked as she skipped into the house.

The lower level appeared to be alright, no signs of destruction, tamperment, anything damaging. But it was the scent the death that overpowered the peacefulness that the lower floors provided.

Rin continued on her way upstairs by going through the ceiling to the second floor. She frowned as she followed the bloody trail in the hallway to one of the rooms. Even though the bodies have long been removed, Rin could clearly see how the bodies were positioned since their souls departed. She moved to the walls. Giant scratch marks were seen, smeared with more human blood, as if the husband was trying to fight off what was attacking them. She took a closer look at the markings on the wall.

"What was this thing?" she said aloud, not caring if anyone was around.

Well, why should she? No one could see her.

She looked around the room some more. Broken vases, glass shard, pieces of human scalp, gruesome.

After not finding much in the room, she went back into the hallway. She pulled out her scythe and from its reflection, notices something strange. She turned towards the window. She looked back at the floor, noticing that the blood trail didn't go into what she guessed was the little boy's room.

"Why wouldn't it go in there?"

---

Sesshoumaru seemed to be playing the charade of covered surgeon very well, though there were a few close calls when a rampaging nurse would come close to him, but as his luck had it, a different surgeon was always there to intercept the nurse.

Finally, he made it clear to the children's ward. He sighed in relief. Almost as soon as he did that, he heard an all too familiar voice speaking to someone. He ducked behind the nearest nurse's station, hoping that no one was going to be anywhere close where he was, seeing as it was just a small desk he was hiding under.

_Quite elementary good sir…._ Sesshoumaru thought bitterly to himself. He slowed his breath down as Dr. Higurashi and a fellow doctor came closer.

"... hence, the reason the boy should be admitted to psychiatric care as of immediately…" a male voice said.

"Well of course his state of mind isn't… quite where it should be…" Dr. Higurashi argued. "How would you have responded if you just saw your parents get killed? It's so similar to a case of another one of my patients, but he was never admitted for hospital care except to get a few injuries treated…."

"And from what I heard last… that patient made a grand escape two months ago… am I right?" the other doctor retorted, causing a sharp intake of breath from Dr. Higurashi.

The two doctors stopped at the nurse's station briefly, causing a bit of an inner panic to Sesshoumaru. Of all people, why did it have to be her?

"We're still trying to figure out how that worked out…" Dr. Higurashi finally said, placing a hand on the desk. "But that has nothing to do with Kotaro's case at all…"

"It very well may have everything to do with it…" the other doctor sneered. "You seem to lose mental patients a lot faster than a surgeon does on the table…"

"If you'll excuse me… Hikaru…" Dr. Higurashi huffed. "I have files to take care of and other patients to see. The next time I try to evaluate Kotaro… you better allow me to do my job or I'll report to the Chief of Medicine."

"Oh… I'm shaking in my white jacket…" Dr. Hikaru said sarcastically and he went after Dr. Higurashi as they left the children's ward.

Sesshoumaru got up as soon as he heard the door close. He let loose a breath he didn't realize he was holding. That was just too close for comfort. He looked down at the desk, trying to decide his next course of action. He heard plenty during the doctors' conversation. He got a sick feeling deep in his stomach. The case that Dr. Higurashi brought up brought back unnecessary memories, but he pushed them to the back of his mind to think about later. When he opened his eyes again after closing them for a brief moment, he noticed a file lying on top of the desk labeled 'Room Assignments'.

Finding Kotaro may be easier than he thought. He flipped through the file quickly, finding the last name Seiki, and found out that Kotaro had his own room at the very end of the hall. According to the notes in his file, he never has the light turned off and goes into hysterics and screams uncontrollably if the lights were to go out and he didn't have a flash light near.

Sesshoumaru wondered if it was because the kid has a ridiculous fear of the dark… or it was caused by something else. Either way… he was going to find out.

Right at the moment he closed the file, he sensed something evil in the room. He looked around. He didn't see anything, but it felt like the aura was heading down the hallway. Sesshoumaru began to follow the aura.

---

Meanwhile, Rin was conducting something all of her own. She was deep in the Harajuku District. Many colorful characters and co players walked around the streets, walking in and out of shops in their gothic Lolita or high pumps. A very easy place for spirits and demons to blend in. She floated around for a while until she finally found the place she was looking for: an old fortune telling store. Rin landed on her feet in front of the door and walked it.

The old place had many knick knacks of talismans, charms, and stones, anything that the old and modern Wiccan may possess. A black cat was lying casually on the counter, opening its golden eyes as Rin walked by. Her attention was on the old woman sitting at the round table, many bangles and long beads dangles from her thin frail form. The old woman re adjusted her shawl as she turned towards Rin.

"Ah… It's been quite a while Reaper…. How have you been…?" the old woman said her voice husky and sounded like dead leaves in the wind.

"Quite busy Baba… as you can imagine…" Rin replied, taking a seat opposite of the old woman.

Baba reached her frail hand for a deck of cards on her right side.

"I sense that you have questions for me…" she said. "Though to answer one… no. I haven't found anything to your problem; the reversal is just as it has always been…."

"Well... thank you for answering that…" Rin said, rolling her eyes. As a habit of hers, everything she visited the old Seer, she had to ask if there was any way to remove the curse on her. The answer was always the same.

"But Baba… I have questions for something else…"

"It is a demon that which you seek…" Baba replied, as the cards in her hand began to form a circle surrounding the old woman.

"I thought as much…" Rin said. "Here are but a few of the questions I want to ask, as more might come up as we continue talking…"

"As long as the spirits allow me… I will answer your questions…."

"What kind of demon devours human flesh has claws that could rip apart modern building, but yet can't go anywhere near light?"

The old woman sat there for a minute, her eyes nothing but pure white.

Rin sat back as she waited for Baba to come back to the world of the living. Finally, a single card shot at Rin, ending a few inches away from her face.

"The demon that you seek…" Baba spoke up. "… Is the Korimako….

'She is a vicious demon, who was once a woman living in a village in the mountains. She loved children and wished she could bear ones of her own. She would often play with the children and give them sweets. But one day, two boys and a girl disappeared from the village. The villagers found the scalp of the girl outside the woman's house. They believed the woman to have killed the children and burnt her home to the ground, with the woman locked inside, screaming as the fire ate at her flesh…

'The villagers later found the corpse of the little girl in the den of wolf spirits, seeing the two boys about to be devoured. The village Priest, who arrived days after the woman's death, managed to save the two boys from the wolf spirits, but warned the people of the woman's wrath for being killed for a crime she did not commit…

"So… the Korimako is a spirit out for revenge… but why kill people at this day and age?" Rin asked. "Wouldn't she have gotten her revenge by now? Surely the entire village perished by now…"

"That answer was not revealed to me…" Baba replied, her eyes reverting back to blue. "All I could give you is the demon's story. The way to defeat the demon, you must find out on your own…."

Rin rose from her seat.

"Thanks for telling me what you could." Rin said, walking over to the old woman and placing a hand over the frail one. Baba kept looking at the spot on the wall as she has been the entire time.

"I ask one thing of you Reaper… bring that young man over to visit sometime. These old hands want to get to know his, as I foresee that he may need to make a few trips to this place in the future."

"I'll keep that in mind" Rin said, not at all surprised that Baba would bring up Sesshoumaru, even though she never said a word about him to the old woman.

Though blind, the woman sees and knows all.

---

Kotaro was sitting on his bed, a flashlight gripped tightly in his hand. He looked back and forth from the window to the door, even to the air vent. He moved even closer to a crouch, his face expressionless, but his eyes full of fear. The light flickered for a moment, causing him to flinch for a moment.

_I can't be in the dark… I just can't! _Kotaro thought to himself.

He jumped when he heard the door rattle. He immediately jumped off the bed and went under it. The door slowly opened.

A dark haired doctor he hasn't seen before walked in, cautiously closing the door behind him. Kotaro wondered what was going on, but he didn't move from his spot, nor did the flashlight leave his hand.

---

Sesshoumaru looked around the room, wondering if he got the right one. The aura was gone the moment he opened the door. He was about to leave until he heard a bit of rattling from under the bed. Sesshoumaru decided to investigate and lifted the sheet a little bit.

There, he found the boy shaking a bit, the rattling coming from the flashlight in his hand.

"It's alright… you can come out…" Sesshoumaru said a bit sheepishly.

He never had much contact with children so he didn't really know how to act around them. His own childhood wasn't exactly typical with the spirit sight and everything, so at this point, he had to wing it.

Kotaro simply stared at Sesshoumaru with his doe like eyes, still unable to move. Sesshoumaru took a seat on the bed.

"You can stay under there if that's more comfortable for you…" Sesshoumaru said. "I don't blame you…"

Kotaro managed to move enough that he was now lying on his back, looking at the underside of the mattress and the bump that was Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru found the new silence oddly comfortable yet uncomfortable at the same time. He thought about how Kotaro acted just as he did when his mother died. It was so strange how similar both cases were. His mother's death was defiantly anything but natural.

"Blood everywhere… hardly anything left of her recognizable…" Sesshoumaru found himself saying aloud. He looked down at the floor, still seeing the faint glow of the flashlight.

"We both the same… you and I kid. A late night and a murder…. At least that was what I think it was. I was a bit younger than you when it happened. It started out as any other night. Milk and cookies before bed then got tucked in. I had no idea it was going to be the last time I saw her alive…"

As Sesshoumaru spoke, he was too drawn to the memories that he didn't notice Kotaro came out from under the bed and was sitting right across from him.

"D…d… did you see a dark cloud?"

Sesshoumaru jumped a bit when he heard Kotaro speak for the first time. The boy kept staring back at him, waiting for an answer. Sesshoumaru decided to just be honest with the boy.

"No… I didn't. All I saw were these piercing red eyes. I don't know if something really was there or if it was a figment of my imagination…"

"I saw a dark cloud…." Kotaro continued. "Before that… it was a monster. Not like in the fairy tales that our teacher tells us in school. It hates light… it's in pain when you shine a light on it. It's stronger in the dark. The dark is its home…"

_That explains the fear of the dark… _Sesshoumaru thought to himself.

Then Kotaro reached out and clung to Sesshoumaru, which made him really uncomfortable.

"Don't let them put me in the dark!" Kotaro cried, clinging tighter to Sesshoumaru.

"Don't put me in the dark! Then it'll get me and take care of me like mommy and daddy!"

Sesshoumaru didn't quite know what to say. Now he was positive what Rin said earlier about this involving spirits and demons was true. But if this kid was anything like him when he was young…

Sesshoumaru placed a hand on Kotaro's head, the only physical gesture he was willing to do.

"I won't let them…" Sesshoumaru said. "I'll take care of this… don't worry…"

"What?"

"I have my connections…." Sesshoumaru continued. "You won't have to fear the dark anymore. I'll come back again to let you know when it will be safe again…"

Kotaro looked at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes.

"But you don't know…"

"Trust me…. I know more that you think…"

Sesshoumaru got up from the bed, but found that Kotaro had a firm hold on his hand.

Kotaro then picked up his flashlight and handed it to Sesshoumaru.

"Please come back…" the boy said with pleading eyes.

Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smirk.

"Don't worry about it…"

---

Meh… no comment…. Please just review….


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